Bride, groom, 29 guests killed in road accident in Iran

A bride and groom and 29 wedding guest were killed in two road accidents in the dark hours of Friday morning, Iranian state television reported.

The bride and groom and several guests were driving away from their wedding in Rudbar, 1,000 kilometers (630 miles) southeast of Tehran, when their van collided with a bus on the road to Kerman shortly after midnight, the television said.

The report did not name the newly married couple, but it said 13 other people were injured in the crash and admitted to local hospitals.

In another accident, 22 passengers were killed when three buses collided on the road from Tabriz to Mianeh, 990 kilometers (615 miles) northwest of Tehran.

Another 38 people were admitted to hospital with injuries, the report said.

The television said the accident happened when one bus driver recklessly tried to overtake another bus.

Iran has one of the worst road safety records in the world. More than 26,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2004. The toll is blamed on unsafe vehicles, disregard for traffic rules and inadequate emergency services, the AP reports.